The Indianapolis Colts hit perhaps the highest of highs with Anthony Richardson’s pass seen around the world. However, in Week 2, they might have hit their lowest low.
The Colts lost the mid-west showdown against the Green Bay Packers by a score of 16-10. Not only that, Richardson was outplayed by backup quarterback Malik Willis, who is fresh out of a failed experiment with the Tennessee Titans.
Fans have been quick to groan about the turn of events, but one analyst believes the problem might not just be the quarterback’s inconsistent accuracy.
Taking to Twitter/X on September 19, NFL analyst Trey Wingo called out the Colts’ run defense.
“How big of a problem is the Colts run defense? Well… The Colts have allowed the most rush yards (474) through Week 2 by any team since…the 1978 Colts,” he posted.
Wingo didn’t use the term “worst,” but the statistic automatically makes the Colts the worst rushing defense in the league through two weeks in 46 years. Of course, there is hardly a connection between the 1978 unit and the 2024 unit aside from the shared name. Unmentioned in Wingo’s post was the fact that the 1978 Colts were housed in Baltimore and had not yet moved to Indianapolis.
Weak Indianapolis Colts’ rushing defense offers clear blueprint to beat Anthony Richardson
While Richardson was the story of the Colts coming into the year, the story has become about the defense. With the league-worst defense in terms of yards per game, the strategy for Indianapolis’ next several opponents is clear as water.
Put simply, no matter who the running back is, he needs to be fed on the majority of carries. If the defense can’t stop them, it takes all risk out of the equation.
Then, with all of the pressure on Richardson to respond, he forces himself to do too much. This, in turn, causes interceptions.
Will the Indianapolis Colts be able to adjust?
